Ara - who?
Hey there! My name’s Araminta, and I am the creator behind Financially Mint, a website to help young people in their early twenties understand what money is all about, written by someone actually in their twenties.
I currently work as a freelance Fintech writer and I’m based in the amazing city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’m part-time volunteering at an Afghan Refugee Center and part-time working and searching for interesting projects to work on as I further develop my career. I also manage the awesome podcast Financial Independence Europe with my two friends Alvar and Mathias.
I’m half Spanish half Scottish and love doing a bit of exploring. I’ve learnt that a great way to combine travel with career building is working abroad. I’ve further combined this with career testing, which means I always get to learn new skills, build my portfolio and make interesting connections (aka career capital).
If you’re interested in hiring me as a Freelance FinTech Writer please don’t hesitate to drop me a message or connect with me on LinkedIn!
Why did I create Financially Mint?
I was going through quite a lot of books on my gap year, trying to figure out whether I really wanted to study Politics. Eventually, I hit the personal finance world, and was shocked:
It’s really that easy to take control of your money? It’s actually possible to earn money without a job?
And wow, there is A LOT I know nothing about.
Then, I got pissed. I was so angry that schools weren’t teaching us anything about taxes, credit cards, mortgages. All I ever was told was to earn amazing grades so I could get a good job, and let the rest take care of itself (it’s especially bad in Spain).
When I realised that there is so much more to life than just a job, I knew I had to discover more and share this message with other students.
Initially I used Financially Mint as a blog to keep track of everything I was learning about and discovering (they’re now called: Money Experiments), but when I realised the lack of information out there specifically for students, I decided to expand and start doing interviews, collaborate with other students and do as much research as possible.
You see, I am no expert in the finance world; I am learning along the way, like you, the student. However, once I understand a concept after researching and experimenting it, I am able to explain it well and in actual human words. I’ve done this with my WTF series and now with Student Guides.
Since moving away from the UK and prioritising work over studying, I’ve decided to focus Financially Mint less on students and more towards young people as a whole in Europe. I want to help other 20 something year olds get started with money basics, no matter which country they’re in.
What will you get from Financially Mint?
My goal is for young adults to use Financially Mint as their tool to understanding and managing money. I not only want you to have a budget, start saving and be frugal. I also want you to understand the why. Why be frugal? Why budget? Why should I earn more money?
I want you to become financially MINT (it’ll catch on eventually):
- Ready for the adult world. Savings in place, working at a good job and with some goals for the future.
- Financially literate: being in control of your money means having options. It means having the freedom to do what you want, knowing you don’t need to stress or worry about money.
Understanding this at a super young age will change your life. I know this because I meet way too many 25+ year olds who wish someone had taught them these things at a young age. Trust me, it’s a pretty big life changer.
Next steps
- Go to Start Here and go through every step, starting with Why Should I Care, Budgeting, Saving, Making Money and finally Adulting. It’s not too long and will give you a good framework to get started.
- Drop me a message: this website is to help you. My inbox is always open and I will always answer your emails. Nothing makes me happier than helping other young people figure out money. You can also find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
- Put it into practice: buy a finance book, ask some people about investing, get your budget on course. Start learning and practicing. The earlier you start the better
